newy.com.au – Medowie ag-tech startup VeraSys has secured more than $2.2 million in federal funding to commercialise CropSight, an AI-powered aerial weed management system aimed at helping Australian farmers identify weed pressure and make more targeted on-farm decisions. The company’s project, listed as “CropSight & Sovereign Brolga UAS – Commercialisation and Scale”, has been awarded $2,223,226 through the Australian Government’s Industry Growth Program.
The funding was announced at VeraSys’ Medowie headquarters on Wednesday, May 20, by Senator Tim Ayres, the Minister for Industry and Innovation and Minister for Science, and Member for Paterson Meryl Swanson. The federal grant recipient list says the support will help VeraSys commercialise the service, scale manufacturing, engage pilot customers, improve productivity, reduce herbicide usage and build capacity for exports.
CropSight combines VeraSys’ Brolga small uncrewed aerial system with sensors, AI analysis and reporting tools designed to turn field data into practical information for growers. VeraSys says a central point of difference is that the company is building the end-to-end solution in Australia, from designing and manufacturing the aerial platform to flying it with farmers, processing imagery and delivering results that can support weed management decisions.
The project is aimed at the growing cost and complexity of weed control in Australian agriculture. VeraSys has described invasive weeds and herbicide resistance as a $4.8 billion annual problem, while GRDC-published research released last year estimated weeds cost Australian grain and cotton growers $4.43 billion annually in losses and control. The same research said weeds remained one of the most significant costs for crop growers, with evolving weed types, resistance and cropping systems requiring ongoing adaptation.
The Brolga platform is VeraSys’ locally developed electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft. The company says the system weighs less than 10 kilograms, can carry a 1.9-kilogram payload and has an endurance of up to 2.5 hours, making it suitable for large-scale mapping and monitoring work in precision agriculture.
Senator Ayres said at Medowie the project was “Australian agricultural technology using drones enabled by artificial intelligence” and said the grant would “drive the next phase of this technology”. He said the funding would also allow VeraSys to “scale up from 8 staff to 23 staff”, linking the announcement to local manufacturing and skilled jobs in the Hunter.
Ms Swanson said the work was happening locally in Medowie and the broader Hunter, with young people connected to the University of Newcastle involved in developing the technology. She described the company’s work as “incredible innovation” and said it was important for the federal government to support technology being built in the region.
VeraSys was officially founded in 2024 after emerging from the research and development division of sister company Murray Consulting Solutions. Its website says the Medowie business is led by director Diana Murray and managing director Craig Darby, with a team whose experience spans engineering, systems integration, field operations and strategic planning.
The next step for the company is field testing. VeraSys is seeking Australian farmers and landholders willing to take part in its pilot program by providing suitable properties for aerial sensing flights and real-world trials. The company says the sites will help test CropSight across different farm environments, crop types and weed-management conditions.
Farmers do not need to be ready customers to be useful to the project. VeraSys is encouraging landholders who are open to hosting flights or providing operational feedback to make contact through the company’s pilot program, which invites property owners to help validate the technology in real conditions.
The broader Industry Growth Program supports innovative startups and small to medium enterprises working on commercialisation and growth projects in areas connected to the National Reconstruction Fund. The program’s Commercialisation and Growth grants can range from $100,000 to $5 million, with grants assessed on merit by an independent committee.
